Alize Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, crew, I’ve been staring at the charts for Alize and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a bit of a tough stretch ahead. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with not much to get excited about for the first week and a half. The water’s sitting at a warm 84°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The outlook is pretty bleak from Monday the 17th of August right through to the 24th. We’ve got a constant barrage of easterly winds, mostly cross-shore or cross-onshore, blowing at 15 to 18 mph. That’s kicking up a lot of chop and making things messy. The swell is small, mostly around 3 ft to 5 ft, with a short, weak period of 6 to 8 seconds. The combined energy is low, mostly in the 200s to low 300s, which is just weak and unappealing. Honestly, for the first week, it’s a write-off for decent waves. The wind is too strong and the surf is too junky for a good paddle. If you’re into kite surfing, the consistent cross-shore wind and chop might be your thing, but for a surfboard, it’s a no-go.

Then there’s a big gap. We don’t see anything even marginal until Tuesday the 25th of August. That’s a full 8 days of poor conditions.

Tuesday the 25th of August finally brings a change. The swell picks up to 7 ft in the morning from the ENE with a much longer period of 11 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 1012, which is strong. This is a proper groundswell. The wind swings around to a light cross-offshore from the S at 15 mph, which should clean things up nicely. This is the standout of the whole forecast. Alize is a beach and reef setup, and it’s consistent, so it should handle this swell. However, at 7 ft, this is pushing into expert territory. The long period also means it’s best for the reef and point sections, as the beach break might get a bit walled out. The afternoon sees the swell drop to 6 ft, but still clean. This is the only window that looks truly worth a paddle.

After that, the surf fades fast. Wednesday the 26th of August drops to 3 ft, and by the end of the month it’s back to the same poor, choppy, cross-shore wind crap we saw at the start. The first week of September looks similar, with small, weak, and messy conditions.

So, the bottom line: there’s a long, flat, and windy period ahead. The only real chance for a decent wave is on the morning of Tuesday the 25th of August, when a solid, long-period groundswell and clean winds hit. That’s your one and only shot. Don’t hold your breath for anything else.

Rusty.

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